1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices and methods for covering vehicles, such as automobiles, so as to protect the vehicle from harmful exposure to the elements and extremes in temperature. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle cover that provides an opaque, water impermeable barrier around the exterior surfaces of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art record is replete with many different types of vehicle covers. The primary purpose of a vehicle cover is to protect the finish of a vehicle from the harmful effects of the elements. Vehicle covers provide a barrier that shields the finish of a vehicle from rain, snow, hail, pollution, dirt, blowing sand and the like. Furthermore, many vehicle covers are opaque, thereby protecting the finish of a vehicle from the harmful effects of the sun. In many circumstances, the vehicle cover has a white color. This helps reflect the heat of the sun and keeps the underlying vehicle cool.
In the prior art, there are many different vehicle covers where the material of the cover lays directly on the vehicle. Such prior art covers are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,421 to Fasiska, entitled Automobile Cover System and U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,839 to Yoon, entitled Automobile Cover Assembly. A problem associated with such vehicle covers is that they entrap moisture and contaminants between the exterior of the vehicle and the cover. The trapped moisture and contaminants can then cause harm to the finish of the vehicle. Another problem associated with such vehicle covers is that since the cover is directly contacting the finish of the vehicle, any movement in the cover cause by wind will cause the cover to chafe against the vehicle. This can cause scratches in the finish of the vehicle. Since such prior art covers do not allow air to flow between the cover and the vehicle, heat can become trapped under the cover and raise the extremes in temperature to which the vehicle is exposed.
To avoid the above stated problems, vehicle covers have been invented where the cover is raised away from the surface of the vehicle it protects. Such prior art cover devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,502 to Wang, entitled Foldable Vehicle Cover and U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,557 to Morgan entitled Vehicle cover system. Such prior art cover systems typically use rigid supports in order to suspend the cover over the vehicle. Consequently, such prior art cover device tend to be heavy, bulky and hard to install.
A need therefore exists in the art for a lightweight, compact vehicle cover that is easy to install and supports a cover above the surface of a vehicle. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.